Mobile gas turbine inlet air conditioning system and associated methods

ABSTRACT

A system, as well as associated methods, for increasing the efficiency of a gas turbine including an inlet assembly and a compressor may include a housing configured to channel airstream towards the inlet assembly, an air treatment module positioned at a proximal end the housing, and at least one air conditioning module mounted downstream of the air treatment module for adjusting the temperature of the airstream entering the compressor. The air treatment module may include a plurality of inlet air filters and at least one blower configured to pressurize the air entering the air treatment module.

PRIORITY CLAIMS

This is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No.18/148,209, filed Dec. 29, 2022, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIRCONDITIONING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No.11,649,766 B2 which is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisionalapplication Ser. No. 17/954,118, filed Sep. 27, 2022, titled “MOBILE GASTURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS,” now U.S.Pat. No. 11,598,263, issued Mar. 7, 2023, which is a continuation ofU.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 17/403,373, filed Aug. 16,2021, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM ANDASSOCIATED METHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No. 11,560,845, issued Jan. 24, 2023,which is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No.17/326,711, filed May 21, 2021, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIRCONDITIONING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No.11,156,159, issued Oct. 26, 2021, which is a continuation U.S.Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 17/213,802, filed Mar. 26, 2021,titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATEDMETHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No. 11,060,455, issued Jul. 13, 2021, which is acontinuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 16/948,289,filed Sep. 11, 2020, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONINGSYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No. 11,002,189, issued May11, 2021, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisionalapplication Ser. No. 62/704,565, filed May 15, 2020, titled “MOBILE GASTURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS,” and U.S.Provisional application No. 62/900,291, filed Sep. 13, 2019, titled“MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM,” the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a gas turbine and, moreparticularly, to systems and method for increasing the efficiency of thegas turbine.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to a turbine such as, but notlimiting of, a gas turbine, a bi-fuel turbine, and the like, and maygenerally include, in serial flow arrangement, an inlet assembly forreceiving and channeling an ambient airstream, a compressor whichreceives and compresses that airstream, a combusting system that mixes afuel and the compressed airstream, ignites the mixture, and allows forthe gaseous by-product to flow to a turbine section, which transfersenergy from the gaseous by-product to an output power.

For example, a gas turbine engine may be used to supply power to ahydraulic fracturing system. Hydraulic fracturing is an oilfieldoperation that stimulates production of hydrocarbons, such that thehydrocarbons may more easily or readily flow from a subsurface formationto a well. For example, a fracturing system may be configured tofracture a formation by pumping a fracturing fluid into a well at highpressure and high flow rates. Some fracturing fluids may take the formof a slurry including water, proppants, and/or other additives, such asthickening agents and/or gels. The slurry may be forced via one or morepumps into the formation at rates faster than can be accepted by theexisting pores, fractures, faults, or other spaces within the formation.As a result, pressure may build rapidly to the point where the formationmay fail and may begin to fracture, thereby releasing the load on thepumps. By continuing to pump the fracturing fluid into the formation,existing fractures in the formation are caused to expand and extend indirections farther away from a well bore, thereby creating flow paths tothe well bore. The proppants may serve to prevent the expanded fracturesfrom closing when pumping of the fracturing fluid is ceased or mayreduce the extent to which the expanded fractures contract when pumpingof the fracturing fluid is ceased.

Gas turbine engines may be used to supply power to hydraulic fracturingpumps for pumping the fracturing fluid into the formation. For example,a plurality of gas turbine engines may each be mechanically connected toa corresponding hydraulic fracturing pump via a transmission andoperated to drive the hydraulic fracturing pump. The gas turbine engine,hydraulic fracturing pump, transmission, and auxiliary componentsassociated with the gas turbine engine, hydraulic fracturing pump, andtransmission may be connected to a common platform or trailer fortransportation and set-up as a hydraulic fracturing unit at the site ofa fracturing operation, which may include up to a dozen or more of suchhydraulic fracturing units operating together to perform the fracturingoperation. Once a fracturing operation has been completed, the hydraulicfracturing units may be transported to another geographic location toperform another fracturing operation.

Hydraulic fracturing may be performed generally at any geographiclocation and during any season of the year, often in harsh environmentalconditions. As a result, hydraulic fracturing may occur under a widevariety of ambient temperatures and pressures, depending on the locationand time of year. In addition, the load on the hydraulic fracturingpumps and thus the gas turbine engines may change or fluctuate greatly,for example, depending on the build-up and release of pressure in theformation being fractured.

The performance of a gas turbine engine is dependent on the conditionsunder which the gas turbine engine operates. For example, ambient airpressure and temperature are large factors in the output of the gasturbine engine, with low ambient air pressure and high ambienttemperature reducing the maximum output of the gas turbine engine. Lowambient pressure and/or high ambient temperature reduce the density ofair, which reduces the mass flow of the air supplied to the intake ofthe gas turbine engine for combustion, which results in a lower poweroutput. Some environments in which hydraulic fracturing operations occurare prone to low ambient pressure, for example, at higher elevations,and/or higher temperatures, for example, in hot climates. In addition,gas turbine engines are subject to damage by particulates in airsupplied to the intake. Thus, in dusty environments, such as at manywell sites, the air must be filtered before entering the intake of thegas turbine engine. However, filtration may reduce the pressure of airsupplied to the intake, particularly as the filter medium of the filterbecomes obstructed by filtered particulates with use. Reduced poweroutput of the gas turbine engines reduces the pressure and/or flow rateprovided by the corresponding hydraulic fracturing pumps of thehydraulic fracturing units. Thus, the effectiveness of a hydraulicfracturing operation may be compromised by reduced power output of thegas turbine engines of the hydraulic fracturing operation.

To generate additional power from an existing gas turbine, an inlet airconditioning system may be used. The air conditioning system mayincrease the airstream density by lowering the temperature of theairstream. This increases the mass flowrate of air entering thecompressor, resulting in increased efficiency and power output of thegas turbine. An air conditioning system may include, for example, butnot limited to, a chiller, an evaporative cooler, a spray cooler, orcombinations thereof, located downstream of an inlet filter house withinan inlet assembly of the gas turbine. Some air conditioning systems,however, add resistance to the airstream entering the compressor. Thisresistance may cause a pressure drop in the inlet assembly. Reduced gasturbine efficiency and power output may result from inlet assemblypressure drop.

The higher the inlet assembly pressure drop, the lower the efficiencyand power output of the gas turbine. Typical pressure drop values acrossthe gas turbine inlet assembly for power generation varies from abouttwo (2) to about five (5) inches of water column (about five to about12.7 centimeters of water). This includes the pressure drop across theair conditioning system, which varies from about 0.5 inches to about 1.5inches of water column (about 1.27 to about 3.8 centimeters of water).Depending on the size of the gas turbine frame, the value of thispressure drop adversely affects the gas turbine output. For example, agas turbine could lose up to 5% of rated output power from the pressuredrop alone if the altitude and temperature remained at ISO conditions.Any change in temperature and/or pressure from ISO rated conditionscould increase the rated output power loss. Every point of efficiencyand power, however, is essential in the competitive business of powergeneration or the variety of other uses for mechanical drive gasturbines.

Accordingly, Applicant has recognized a need for an air condition systemfor an operating a gas turbine, for example, in a wide variety ofambient conditions and during changing loads on the gas turbine.Desirably, the system should reduce the inlet assembly pressure dropwhen not in operation.

SUMMARY

As referenced above, a gas turbine may be used to supply power in a widevariety of locations and may be operated during any time of the year,sometimes resulting in operation in harsh environments, for example,when used to supply power to a hydraulic fracturing system. In addition,a gas turbine may be subjected to a fluctuating load during operation,for example, when used to supply power to a hydraulic fracturing system.

The present disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods forincreasing the efficiency of operation of a gas turbine, for example,during operation in a wide variety of ambient conditions and/or underfluctuating loads. In some embodiments, a system for increasing theefficiency of a conventional gas turbine having an inlet assembly and acompressor, the inlet assembly being located upstream of the compressor,may include a housing, an air treatment module, and at least one airconditioning module. As contemplated and discussed above, performancelosses may be expected at increased temperatures, increased altitude,and/or increased humidity when using a dual fuel turbine system in amobile application that is configured to drive a reciprocating hydraulicfracturing pump or drive a generator as part of a gen-set. Theseenvironmental conditions may lead to the air being less dense, which mayadversely affect turbine system performance as the turbine mass air flowthrough the air intake axial compression stages are directlyproportional to the turbines performance output. The air treatmentmodule may include one or more air conditioning modules that maycondition input air to effect a desired increase in the mass flow of airthrough the air intake axial compression stages of the turbine.

According to some embodiments, the housing may be configured to channelan airstream towards the inlet assembly, the housing being positionedupstream of the inlet assembly, which channels the airstream to thecompressor. The air treatment module may be positioned at a proximal endof the housing and may include a plurality of inlet air filters and atleast one blower in fluid communication with an interior of the housingand configured to pressurize air entering the air treatment module. Theat least one conditioning module may be mounted downstream of the airtreatment module and may be configured to adjust the temperature of theairstream entering the compressor, such that the airstream enters theair conditioning module at a first temperature and exits the airconditioning module at a second temperature.

According to some embodiments, a hydraulic fracturing unit may include atrailer, and a hydraulic fracturing pump to pump fracturing fluid into awellhead, with the hydraulic fracturing pump connected to the trailer.The hydraulic fracturing unit also may include a gas turbine to drivethe hydraulic fracturing pump, and an air treatment system to increasethe efficiency of the gas turbine, the gas turbine including an inletassembly and a compressor. The air treatment system may include ahousing positioned to channel an airstream towards the inlet assembly,and an air treatment module positioned at a proximal end of the housing.The air treatment module may include a plurality of inlet air filters toprovide fluid flow to a first internal chamber, and one or more blowersmounted in the first internal chamber and providing fluid flow to aninterior of the housing via at least one outlet of the first internalchamber, the one or more blowers positioned to pressurize air enteringthe air treatment module. The air treatment module further may includeone or more air conditioning modules mounted downstream of the airtreatment module to adjust the temperature of the airstream entering thecompressor, such that the airstream enters the one or more airconditioning modules at a first temperature and exits the one or moreair conditioning modules at a second temperature.

According to some embodiments, a method to enhance the efficiency of agas turbine including an inlet assembly and a compressor may includecausing an airstream to flow toward the inlet assembly and passing theairstream through a plurality of inlet air filters to a first internalchamber. The method also may include operating one or more blowers topressurize the airstream and provide fluid flow to an interior of ahousing via at least one outlet of the first internal chamber. Themethod further may include causing the airstream to enter one or moreair conditioning modules at a first temperature and exit the one or moreair conditioning modules at a second temperature.

Still other aspects, embodiments, and advantages of these exemplaryaspects and embodiments, are discussed in detail below. Moreover, it isto be understood that both the foregoing information and the followingdetailed description are merely illustrative examples of various aspectsand embodiments, and are intended to provide an overview or frameworkfor understanding the nature and character of the claimed aspects andembodiments. Accordingly, these and other objects, along with advantagesand features of the present disclosure herein disclosed, will becomeapparent through reference to the following description and theaccompanying drawings. Furthermore, it is to be understood that thefeatures of the various embodiments described herein are not mutuallyexclusive and may exist in various combinations and permutations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrateembodiments of the present disclosure, and together with the detaileddescription, serve to explain the principles of the embodimentsdiscussed herein. No attempt is made to show structural details of thisdisclosure in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamentalunderstanding of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein and thevarious ways in which they may be practiced. According to commonpractice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are notnecessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elementsin the drawings may be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustratethe embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an air treatmentsystem for increasing the efficiency of a gas turbine according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary system setup of the air conditioning systemaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates example performance loss of the gas turbine withincreased temperature according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates, in table form, air properties at differentelevations and temperatures according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an example of an electrical system foroperating the air treatment system according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an example of a hydraulic system foroperating the air treatment system according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like partsthroughout the several views, the following description is provided asan enabling teaching of exemplary embodiments, and those skilled in therelevant art will recognize that many changes may be made to theembodiments described. It also will be apparent that some of the desiredbenefits of the embodiments described may be obtained by selecting someof the features of the embodiments without utilizing other features.Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that manymodifications and adaptations to the embodiments described are possibleand may even be desirable in certain circumstances, and are a part ofthe disclosure. Thus, the following description is provided asillustrative of the principles of the embodiments and not in limitationthereof.

The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. As used herein, theterm “plurality” refers to two or more items or components. The terms“comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” and“involving,” whether in the written description or the claims and thelike, are open-ended terms, i.e., to mean “including but not limitedto.” Thus, the use of such terms is meant to encompass the items listedthereafter, and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items. Onlythe transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentiallyof,” are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, withrespect to any claims. Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,”“third,” and the like in the claims to modify a claim element does notby itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claimelement over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method areperformed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claimelement having a certain name from another element having a same name(but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish claim elements.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , an example air treatment system 10 isdescribed for operation with a gas turbine 12. Such a gas turbine maygenerally include, in serial flow arrangement, an inlet assemblyincluding an inlet 14 for receiving and channeling an ambient airstream,a compressor which receives and compresses that airstream, a combustingsystem that mixes a fuel and the compressed airstream, ignites themixture, and allows for the gaseous by-product to flow to a turbinesection, which transfers energy from the gaseous by-product to an outputpower. Other components of the gas turbine may be used therein as willbe understood by those skilled in the art.

In some embodiments, the air treatment system 10 may be incorporatedinto a hydraulic fracturing unit. For example, a hydraulic fracturingunit may include a trailer and a hydraulic fracturing pump to pumpfracturing fluid into a wellhead, with the hydraulic fracturing pumpconnected to the trailer. The hydraulic fracturing unit also may includea gas turbine to drive the hydraulic fracturing pump, for example, via agearbox, and the air treatment system 10, in some embodiments, may beused to increase the efficiency of the gas turbine. Hydraulic fracturingmay be performed generally at any geographic location and during anyseason of the year, often in harsh environmental conditions. As aresult, hydraulic fracturing may occur under a wide variety of ambienttemperatures and pressures, depending on the location and time of year.In addition, the load on the hydraulic fracturing pumps and thus the gasturbine engines may change or fluctuate greatly, for example, dependingon the build-up and release of pressure in the formation beingfractured. In some embodiments, the air treatment system 10 may beconfigured to increase the efficiency of operation of a gas turbine, forexample, during operation in a wide variety of ambient conditions and/orunder fluctuating loads. As referenced above, performance losses may beexpected at increased temperatures, increased altitude, and/or increasedhumidity when using a dual fuel turbine system for a mobile hydraulicfracturing unit configured to drive a reciprocating hydraulic fracturingpump via a gearbox or drive a generator as part of a gen-set. Theseenvironmental conditions may lead to the air being less dense, which mayadversely affect turbine system performance as the turbine mass air flowthrough the air intake axial compression stages are directlyproportional to the turbines performance output. In some embodiments,the air treatment system 10 may include one or more air conditioningmodules that may condition input air to effect a desired increase in themass flow of air through the air intake axial compression stages of thegas turbine, thereby at least partially mitigating or overcoming anyperformance losses of the gas turbine of a hydraulic fracturing unit dueto increased temperatures, increased altitude, and/or increasedhumidity, while being able to respond to fluctuating loads.

In some embodiments, the air treatment system 10 may include a housing20, an air treatment module 30, and/or at least one air conditioningmodule 50. Optionally, the air treatment system 10 may further include afilter module 70 positioned intermediate the at least one conditioningmodule 50 and the input side of the gas turbine. As contemplated anddiscussed above, performance losses may be expected at increasedtemperatures, increased altitude, and/or increased humidity, forexample, when using a dual fuel turbine system in a mobile applicationthat is configured to drive a reciprocating hydraulic fracturing pump ordrive a generator as part of a gen-set. These environmental conditionsmay lead to the air being less dense. One skilled in the art willappreciate that the relative density of air may be an important factorfor a turbine as turbine mass air flow through the air intake axialcompression stages may be directly proportional to the turbine'sperformance output. The air treatment system 10 described herein mayallow for the selective conditioning of air, which may affect a desiredincrease in air density of air entering the intake of the turbine. Asdescribed in more detail below, the air treatment module 30 and/or theat least one air conditioning module 70 of the air treatment system mayfilter air entering the air treatment system, may boost the pressure ofair entering the air treatment system, and may lower the temperature ofthe air entering the air treatment system air to increase the operatingefficiency of the turbine.

As illustrated, the example housing 20 may be configured to channel anairstream towards the inlet assembly of the turbine and may bepositioned upstream of the input side of the turbine, which channels theairstream to the compressor. The housing 20 may have a shape that isconfigured for allowing for structural integration with the inletassembly of the turbine. The integration of the inlet assembly of theturbine and the housing may allow for more controlled flow of theairstream flowing through the air treatment module 30 and the airconditioning module 50 and then flowing to the inlet assembly of theturbine. The housing 20 may be joined to the inlet assembly of theturbine via a plurality of connection means, such as, but are notlimited to, welding, bolting, other fastening methods, or combinationsthereof. The housing 20 may be formed of or include any material(s)capable of supporting the air treatment module and/or the airconditioning module. Such material(s) may include, for example, but arenot limited to, a metal, an alloy, and/or other structural materials aswill be understood by those skilled in the art.

The air treatment module 30 may include a plurality of inlet air filtersor pre-cleaners 32 and at least one blower fan 35 configured topressurize air. In some embodiments, the air treatment module 30 may bepositioned at a proximal end 22 of the housing 20. The plurality ofinlet air filters 32 may be in fluid communication with a first internalchamber 34 of the air treatment module, and the at least one blower fan35 may be mounted in the first internal chamber 34 to pressurize airentering the first internal chamber 34 via the plurality of inlet airfilters. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that plurality of inletair filters may knock down debris, including mud, snow, rain, leaves,sawdust, chaff, sand, dust, and the like. As shown, the inlet airfilters 32 may be configured to continuously or intermittently ejectdebris before reaching an optional filter module 70 that may be mountedinternally within the housing, for example, without the need for furthercleaning or shutting-down the unit to replace one or more of theplurality of inlet air filters.

As one skilled in the art will appreciate, to compensate for thepressure drop through the plurality of inlet air filters and to boostthe pressure and flow of the air to the turbine, the at least one blowerfan 35, which may be operated by an electrical or hydraulic motor, maybe installed to bring the overall airflow up to a desired air feed rate,such as, for example and without limitation, about 28,000 CFM, toincrease the inlet pressure at the inlet of the turbine with a resultantincrease in efficiency of the turbine. Without limitation, in theschematic example shown in FIG. 1 , at least one blower fan 35 with acoupled electrical motor may be positioned in the first internal chamber34 of the air treatment module to boost the pressure of intake air to adesired level after the pressure drop through the plurality of inlet airfilters and into the downstream filter module 70. For example, the atleast one blower fan 35 may be a squirrel cage blower fan. However, andwithout limitation, other conventional electrically or hydraulicallypowered blower fans, such as vane axial fans, and the like, arecontemplated. Optionally, the air treatment system 10 may be integratedwith a bypass. The bypass may reduce the pressure drop derived from anon-operating air conditioning system.

It is contemplated that the at least one blower fan 35 may pressurizethe air exiting the air treatment module to a degree sufficient to atleast partially overcome the pressure losses associated with passingthrough the upstream plurality of air filters 32 and through thedownstream air conditioning module 50 and, if used, a downstream filtermodule 70 positioned upstream of the at least one conditioning module,and any other losses the system may encounter, such as rarefication ofthe inlet air to the blower. In such embodiments, the downstream filtermodule 70 may be a conventional high-efficiency filter, such as, andwithout limitation, a conventional vane inlet with a low cartridge- orbag-type pre-filter that would be suitable for periodic cleaning andchanging.

It is contemplated that the at least one blower fan 35 may be oversizedto allow for further pressurization of the air at the downstream inletof the turbine or engine. Oversizing may allow for suitable compensationfor the loss of atmospheric pressure and air density, for example, withincreased elevation. The change in pressure due to a change in elevationmay be calculated via the following equation:

$P = {P_{b}\left\lbrack \frac{T_{b}}{T_{b} + {L_{b}\left( {H - H_{b}} \right)}} \right\rbrack}^{\frac{g_{0}M}{R*L_{b}}}$where:P=local atmospheric pressure;P_(b)=static pressure at sea level;T_(b)=temperature at sea level;L_(b)=temperature lapse rate;H_(b)=elevation at sea level;H=local elevation;R*=universal gas constant;g₀=gravity; andM=molar mass of air.

From the calculated pressure, the ideal gas law may be used to calculatea new density of the air at the constant atmospheric pressure. FIG. 3shows the change in pressure as a function of increased elevation. Italso shows the calculated density in reference to temperature change andelevation change.

$\rho = \frac{p}{R_{sp}T}$where:P=absolute pressure;ρ=density;T=absolute temperature; andR_(SP)=specific gas constant.

Referring now to FIG. 4 , the conventional factor for performance lossof the turbine with increased temperature is a 0.4% to about 0.5%reduction in performance for every one degree Fahrenheit increase over59 degrees F. For example, it may be seen that at 500 ft, dropping thetemperature from 100 degrees F. to 90 degrees F, the HHP output willincrease by 140 horsepower, or about 4%.

The increase in power results from the temperature decreasing andholding the air pressure constant. The ideal gas law equation may beused to calculate the density of the air as a function of the change intemperature. As may be seen from the table illustrated in FIG. 4 , adecrease to 90 degrees F. from 100 degrees F. will result in a densityincrease of 0.0013 lbm/ft³ or a 1.8% increase. The describedrelationship is that for every percentage of air density increase theoutput efficiency increases by approximately 2.2%.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first internal chamber 34 of the airtreatment module 30 is in fluid communication with an interior chamber24 of the housing via at least one outlet 39 of the air treatmentmodule. Optionally, the air treatment module 30 may further include aplurality of drift eliminator and/or coalescer pads suitable forreducing the content of liquids within the airstream flowing through theair treatment module.

The at least one air conditioning module 50 for adjusting thetemperature of the airstream passing thorough the housing and toward theinput side of the gas turbine may be mounted downstream of the airtreatment module 30. The airstream enters the at least one airconditioning module 50 at a first temperature and exits the airconditioning module at a second temperature. The at least one airconditioning module 50 may have a conventional form such as a chiller.One skilled in the art will appreciate that other forms of conventionalair conditioning modules are contemplated. The specific form of the atleast one air conditioning module may be determined in part from theconfiguration of the gas turbine.

In some embodiments, the at least one conditioning module 50 may includeat least one chiller module 55. The chiller module 55 may include aconventional arrangement of a plurality of condenser coils 56 disposedin the housing and that are configured to span the substantial width ofthe housing, such that the airstream passes through and/or around theplurality of condenser coils 56 to effect a desired lowering of thetemperature of the airstream that is directed downstream toward theinput side of the gas turbine. The plurality of condenser coils 56 maybe in communication with a source of pressurized chilled refrigerant.The refrigerant may be any conventional refrigerant, such as, withoutlimitation, R22, R410a, and the like as will be understood by thoseskilled in the art. In one example, the refrigerant fluid may be cooledto about 45 degrees F., but it is contemplated that the desired coolanttemperature may be changed to suit varying operating conditions asdesired.

It is contemplated that the at least one air conditioning module 50 maydecrease the temperature of the airstream entering the inlet assembly ofthe gas turbine to increase the efficiency and power output. In oneexemplary aspect, the at least one conditioning module 50 may preferablydecrease a temperature of the airstream by between about 2 and 20degrees F. and optionally between about 5 and 10 degrees F. In someapplications, increasing the efficiency and/or the power output of thegas turbine may lead to more efficient operations. For example, in ahydraulic fracturing operation including a plurality of hydraulicfracturing units, each operating a gas turbine to supply power to drivefracturing pumps, such increases in efficiency and/or power output mayfacilitate reducing the number the gas turbines operating, while stillproviding sufficient power to meet fracturing fluid pressure and/or flowrate needs to complete the fracturing operation.

In various exemplary aspects, it is contemplated that, in elevationalcross-sectional view, the plurality of condenser coils 56 of the chillermodule 55 may have a planar shape, a W shape, a V shape, or othergeometric shape. The chiller module 55 may further comprise a means forchilling the source of pressurized chilled refrigerant. The means forchilling the source of pressurized chilled refrigerant may be aconventional refrigeration cycle using a compressor 58 that isconfigured to supply pressurized chilled refrigerant to the plurality ofcoils. The compressor may include a plurality of compressors, which mayinclude one or more of the following types of compressors: areciprocating compressor, a scroll compressor, a screw compressor, arotary compressor, a centrifugal compressor, and the like.

Optionally, the means for chilling the source of pressurized chilledsupply may include at least one chill line carrying pressurizedrefrigerant that may be routed through and/or around a cold source. Itis contemplated that the cold source may include at least one gas sourcein liquid form.

Optionally, the plurality of condenser coils 56 may be placed in anexisting radiator package where the lube coolers and engine coolers forthe gas turbine are housed. It is also optionally contemplated that theplurality of condenser coils 56 may be packaged along with thecompressor and an expansion valve of a conventional refrigeration cyclesystem. It is contemplated that the heat rejection requirement of theplurality of condenser coils 56 may be higher than the heat rejection ofthe evaporator because the plurality of condenser coils 56 must alsoreject the heat load from the coupled compressors.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 , schematic diagrams of an electricalsystem and a hydraulic system for operating the air treatment system arepresented. It is contemplated that the air conditioning system 10 willnot actuate the air treatment module 30 and at least one airconditioning module 50 at a constant speed or power output. For example,during a cold day with low humidity and at low elevation, the airconditioning system may only utilize the plurality of inlet air filtersor pre-cleaners 32 and the optional filter module 70. In someembodiments consistent with this example, the at least one blower fan 35may be selectively engaged to ensure the pressure drop across the inletair filters or pre-cleaners 32 are within the turbine manufacturer'sguidelines, but the at least one blower fan 35 will not be run at therespective blower fan's cubic feet per minute (cfm) rating, nor will theat least one air conditioning module 50 be attempting to reduce thetemperature of the air to an unnecessary temperature. As illustrated,the example air treatment module 30 and at least one air conditioningmodule 50 may be selectively controlled via proportional motor controlthat may be operatively configured to function through a combination ofthe use of programmable VFDs, a PLC control system, an instrumentationand hydraulic control system, and the like. \

In some embodiments, ISO conditions of 59 degrees F., 14.696 pounds persquare inch atmospheric pressure, at sea level, and 60% relativehumidity may be the baseline operating levels for control of the airconditioning system 10, as these are the conditions that are used torate a turbine engine for service. As shown in FIG. 5 , the assembly andimplementation of instruments such as atmospheric pressure sensorsand/or temperature sensors allow the air conditioning system 10 tomonitor air density through the data inputs and to calculate, at adesired sample rate, the density in reference to temperature change andelevation change. Further, it is contemplated that the pressure dropthrough the plurality of inlet air filters or pre-cleaners 32 may bemonitored via a pair of pressure sensors, which may be positioned at theair intake of the plurality of inlet air filters or pre-cleaners 32 andat the air intake of the turbine also. This noted pressure differentialbetween the pair of pressure sensors may allow the air conditioningsystem 10 to command the operation of the plurality of blower fans 35 tooperate at a desired speed to mitigate or overcome the sensed pressuredrop.

It is contemplated that in the event there is a loss of one or morecontrol signals from the supervisory control system of the airconditioning system 10, the chillers and blowers may be configured toautomatically revert to operation at maximum output as a failsafe and/orto ensure that operation of the coupled turbine is not ceased. Duringoperation, the pressure transducers and temperature transducers may beconfigured to provide continuous or intermittent feedback to thesupervisory control system. As described, during normal operationaccording to some embodiments, the supervisory control system mayoperate to detect the deficiency of the inlet airstream, such as atemperature and/or pressure drop, and may be configured to send controloutputs to the blower fan motors and/or the at least one airconditioning module 50, for example, to condition the airstream tomitigate or overcome the environmental losses. For example, and withoutlimitation, the supervisory control system may include, but is notlimited to, PLC, micro-controllers, computer-based controllers, and thelike as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Similarly, FIG. 6 illustrates an example use of hydraulic power to turnhydraulic motors on the blower fans 35 (if hydraulically-powered blowerfans 35 are used) and the hydraulically-powered fans on the at least oneair conditioning module 50 (if used). In such embodiments, proportionalhydraulic control valves may be positioned and may be configured toreceive operational input from the supervisory control system for theselective operation of a spool to ensure that the correct amount ofhydraulic fluid is delivered into the air conditioning system.

This is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No.18/148,209, filed Dec. 29, 2022, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIRCONDITIONING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS,” which is a continuation ofU.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 17/954,118, filed Sep. 27,2022, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM ANDASSOCIATED METHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No. 11,598,263, issued Mar. 7, 2023,which is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No.17/403,373, filed Aug. 16, 2021, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIRCONDITIONING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No.11,560,845, issued Jan. 24, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S.Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 17/326,711, filed May 21, 2021,titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATEDMETHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No. 11,156,159, issued Oct. 26, 2021, which is acontinuation U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 17/213,802, filedMar. 26, 2021, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMAND ASSOCIATED METHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No. 11,060,455, issued Jul. 13,2021, which is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser.No. 16/948,289, filed Sept. 11, 2020, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLETAIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS,” now U.S. Pat. No.11,002,189, issued May 11, 2021, which claims priority to and thebenefit of U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 62/704,565, filed May15, 2020, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM ANDASSOCIATED METHODS,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/900,291,filed Sep. 13, 2019, titled “MOBILE GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CONDITIONINGSYSTEM,” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by referencein their entireties.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detailherein, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that manymodifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments withoutmaterially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of theembodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all suchmodifications are intended to be included within the scope of theembodiments of the present disclosure as defined in the followingclaims.

We claim:
 1. An air treatment system to increase the efficiency of a gasturbine, the air treatment system comprising: (a) a housing having an(i) internal chamber and (ii) one or more inlets positioned to channelair flow into the internal chamber; (b) one or more air treatmentmodules including one or more stages of a plurality of inlet air filtersto provide pre-cleaning of airstream flow entering the inlets of thehousing and prior to entry into the internal chamber of the housing, theinternal chamber including one or more outlets therefrom, wherein theplurality of inlet air filters is positioned to knock-down debris priorto entrance into the internal chamber of the housing; and (c) one ormore additional filters positioned downstream of the one or more airtreatment modules.
 2. The air treatment system as defined in claim 1,wherein the plurality of inlet air filters is configured to eject debrisvia centrifugal force.
 3. The air treatment system as defined in claim1, wherein each of the plurality of inlet air filters has a cylindricaltubular portion configured to channel the air into the internal chamber.4. A hydraulic fracturing unit to be mounted on a trailer, the hydraulicfracturing unit comprising: a hydraulic fracturing pump; a gas turbineto drive the hydraulic fracturing pump, the gas turbine including aninlet assembly and a gas turbine compressor; and an air treatment systemincluding: a housing having an internal chamber and positioned tochannel an airstream towards the inlet assembly of the gas turbine; andan air treatment module having one or more inlet air filters to filterfluid flow to the internal chamber, the plurality of inlet air filtersbeing positioned to knock-down debris prior to entrance into theinternal chamber of the housing.
 5. The hydraulic fracturing unit asdefined in claim 4, wherein the plurality of inlet air filters isconfigured to eject debris via centrifugal force.
 6. The hydraulicfracturing unit as defined in claim 5, wherein each of the plurality ofinlet air filters has a cylindrical tubular portion configured tochannel the air into the internal chamber.
 7. The hydraulic fracturingunit of claim 4, further comprising one or more additional filterspositioned downstream of the air treatment module.
 8. A pumping unitcomprising: a gas turbine engine; an enclosure housing the gas turbineengine; an air intake duct connected to the gas turbine engine; an airtreatment system connected to the air intake duct, the air treatmentsystem comprising one or more inlet pre-cleaners configured to ejectdebris, each of the one or more inlet pre-cleaners having a cylindricaltubular portion configured to channel air toward the air intake duct; agearbox mechanically linked to the gas turbine engine; and a pumpmechanically linked to the gearbox.
 9. The pumping unit of claim 8,further comprising a trailer configured to support both the pump and theenclosure.
 10. The pumping unit of claim 8, wherein the gas turbineengine comprises a dual fuel gas turbine engine.
 11. The pumping unit ofclaim 8, wherein the one or more inlet pre-cleaners is configured toeject debris via centrifugal force.
 12. A pumping unit comprising: achassis; a gas turbine engine; an enclosure housing the gas turbineengine; an air intake duct connected to the gas turbine engine; an airtreatment system connected to the air intake duct, the air treatmentsystem comprising one or more inlet pre-cleaners configured to ejectdebris via centrifugal force; a gearbox mechanically linked to the gasturbine engine; and a pump mechanically linked to the gearbox, the airtreatment system, the enclosure, the gas turbine engine, and thegearbox, and the pump also disposed on the chassis.
 13. The pumping unitof claim 12, wherein at least one of the one or more inlet pre-cleanerscomprises a cylindrical tubular portion configured to channel air towardthe air intake duct.
 14. The pumping unit of claim 12, wherein the gasturbine engine comprises a dual fuel gas turbine engine.